Spring reprise

[Guest Brian Robson]

Thanks for a great posting, it will be copied, then laminated and carried on all trips...sorta like the spare spring thing, but different.

[Mike Stewart]

Should the stock Guzzi spring be used or one of the aftermarket ones that I have seen listed somewhere ? And does anyone have the part number so I can get one on order before I take my trans sidecover off?

 

Thanks,

Mike

[Guest ratchethack]

Mike, the OEM spring is P/N 04 23 83 00. I got an aftermarket one as a spare just in case (haven't needed it yet for my 2000 V11 Sport) from Bonnie at (405) 524-7223. $12.50 and she shipped it out same day. It looks like it might be heavier guage spring wire, though I haven't put it up against the stock one to compare.

[jrt]

I just called and ordered one (what the heck). I hope I never use it, but it's a good backup to have. When I called, the lady on the phone responded- 'Oh, another one of those. You want one or two?' LOL And she has a lovely southern accent.

 

But here's the webpage:

http://cannonracecraft.com/catalog/product...51ca1e98d9bb5ed

 

Whoever came up with this company- THANKS!

[belfastguzzi]

Order quick – looks like there might be a run on them!

 

When I ordered one from England it was the supplier's last one.

 

Re which spring to get: going by the current theory, a thicker wire won't really help, it would just put off the evil day. If your pawl arm/ratchet arm whatever boss is oversize then the best change to the spring would be to get one with a bigger coil diameter, not a heavier wire.

 

For that reason, Mike, why don't you take the cover off first and check the parts, because if it turns out you have the problem, you might be best getting the replacement pawl arm, not just changing spring. If you need to do that, you should claim the arm and spring under warranty.

 

Pawl arm no, 04235101

Spring 04238300

[Bill Hagan]

The dealer repaired the Ballabio yesterday.

 

The spring was, as expected, broken, but, to me, the unexpected news was that the boss was 15mm.

 

Given the above and related threads re oversized boss as culprit (or at least that's what I inferred), any thoughts from Belfast or elsewhere?

 

Whatever the cause, I now, however, carry a spare spring and a copy of the repair posts! And, if it breaks tomorrow in the Georgia mountains, at least I'll have Oz & Georgia's Guzzi gurus, Pete Roper and Wayne Orwig, along for the ride. No U-Haul necessary, as those two could strip the entire bike down to bare parts and put it back together again by the side of the road while I chat with the locals, all asking"Who makes that?"

[belfastguzzi]

Well, well. Thanks for posting that bit of info.

This is a bit of a worry again.

 

It's probably a forlorn hope that your spring coil was undersized!

 

That last time I had the bits out, I didn't have a welder at home otherwise I would have welded something onto the shift plate, as back-up. I like Baldin's idea of putting on a pin, or a bead or something to capture the spring, rather than relying on the bend at the end.

 

But if the spring is a problem (as well as the oversized boss) how come bikes prior to 2002 have not been breaking springs? Have people just been keeping quiet or have I missed the info. I have asked a few times if the earlier bikes have given the same problem and I don't think there was a response to say that they have.

 

Hopefully more information will gather up here.

[Guest Dave Pott]

So th '04 Ballabio has the the correct Boss size and the spring STILL broke ... well that 's just peachy (Calif. peaches Bill )

 

I did buy two springs a couple of week ago from Bonnie but I'm not so sure I'm a good enough wrench to do a roadside fix I suppose I had better learn since I own a Moto Guzzi That, and get the AAA towing service...since the Moto Guzzi roadside service may not be so good

 

I still think I'm glad I didn't buy the R1150R

[al_roethlisberger]

Well, to be fair... and to diminish the worrying a bit, while this problem is "common" it doesn't seem to be ubiquitous either.

 

The number of failures we know of are in the 10s of bikes maybe, out of how many made in the last 4+ years??

 

I'm still going to take mine apart sometime in the next few weeks and measure the boss and check on the spring.

 

But I think it *might* be safe to say that if you've gone... say... 5-10k miles without it breaking, you have one of the "good ones" and shouldn't worry to much about it?? Whaddya think?

 

Has anyone had any of these springs fail after 5-10k or greater miles? It seems like most here report the spring failing pretty early, then repeatedly on a similar interval of a couple/three thousand miles?

 

al

[belfastguzzi]

Well, to be fair... and to diminish the worrying a bit, while this problem is "common" it doesn't seem to be ubiquitous either.

 

The number of failures we know of are in the 10s of bikes maybe

This is the thing it would be great to get more info on.

 

Is it only 10's? Surely it's more?

Are they concentrated within particular manufacturing dates?

 

When you have a check, let us know how the spring bend is seated on the plate. Does it move freely; is it stuck in a rough gouge that it has dug; is the contact spread or concentrated on one point of the bend: even if the boss is 15 mm, is the coil still definitely free to move when the spring is under tension?

[Guest sdbguzzi]

Thanks Belfastguzzi,

 

Great post and very helpful as my recently bought bikes' spring has just decided to

give up the ghost.So now I am trying to find a decent dealer in my area.

 

sdbguzzi

[belfastguzzi]

Thanks Belfastguzzi,

 

Great post and very helpful as my recently bought bikes' spring has just decided to

give up the ghost.So now I am trying to find a decent dealer in my area.

 

sdbguzzi

Bad news, but easy enough fixed – are you looking for the dealer so that you can get a new spring or to do the repair work?

 

As a matter of interest, what mileage had you done? As your bike is almost the same number as mine, it will be interesting to see if the pawl arm boss is also the bigger 16mm+ size. You should be able to get both parts under warranty.

 

As your bike is recently bought, I suppose that you got it second-hand? If so, do you know its service history (has the spring ever been replaced before) and where was the bike bought? Mine was from On Yer Bike (maybe yours was too) and they changed the spring from new to the supposedly improved spring, which then broke anyway.

 

For what it's worth, the response to the poll indicates that there may not actually have been a lot of breakages??????????

[andy york]

I guess I'm going to throw all the stats out the window. Just when I was thinking my LeMans was safe with 26,000 miles , the spring broke!. down shifting for a stop sign .

Well, at least I think it broke. It will be a week to find out.Gear shift lever does nothing.Let ya'll know when I get it torn apart.

 

Cheers andy

[Bill Hagan]

I guess I'm going to throw all the stats out the window. Just when I was thinking my LeMans was safe with 26,000 miles , the spring broke!. down shifting for a stop sign .

  Well, at least I think it broke. It will be a week to find out.Gear shift lever does nothing.Let ya'll know when I get it torn apart.

 

Cheers              andy

 

It takes a week and you are dealer?!?

 

Hope it was near home. Would have been awkward on some of those cowpaths we rode weekend 'fore last.

[Guest sdbguzzi]

Thanks Belfastguzzi,

 

Great post and very helpful as my recently bought bikes' spring has just decided to

give up the ghost.So now I am trying to find a decent dealer in my area.

 

sdbguzzi 

Bad news, but easy enough fixed – are you looking for the dealer....................... the repair work?

 

As a matter of interest, what mileage had you done? As your bike is.............. interesting to see if the pawl arm boss is also the bigger 16mm+ size.

 

As your bike is recently bought, I suppose that you got it second-hand? If so, do you know its service history (has the spring ever .......................... broke anyway.

 

At the moment the bikes at the dealers being repaired under warranty.

So I will be picking it up this wednesday

 

I have the service history but there is no indication that the spring or arm had been previously replaced.When the spring went,the mileage was approx. 2500 but I will try to find out if the "original" arm boss was 16.5mm!

 

My bike was also originally from OnYerBike the same as yours.So perhaps they changed the spring from new also!!!!

 

Hopefully the new spring will last a bit longer!